SeaDawg

Hi, HMD, I understood you. It was a " funny." That said, we live very comfortably in our little Ollie I, in good weather. Because, we sleep inside, mostly cook and relax outside. You are correct in saying it's small. Heck, my walkin closet is probably bigger than my Ollie. But, I wouldn't trade my trailer for anything else today, after 11 years. The bigger Ollie II certainly affords more space inside on inclement days/ winter living. Larger than many tiny homes that I have toured. Just trying to help the op figure it out. I've personally known three couples who full timed ( for a year or three) in the original small Ollie like ours. Not for me... three months and I am ready to go home. But, that worked for them for a time. Mostly depends on your mindset, wants and needs. Sherry

Congratulations on your new Ollie! Safe travels to Hohenwald, and home. Were it me, I'd hang within 150 miles of Hohenwald for several days. Beautiful roads and parks. Check all the systems, enjoy the beauty of central and eastetn Tennessee. Then, I would make a beeline up to Duluth/ Two harbors, Grand Marais, and on to Thunder Bay. Take the TransCanada 1 toward home. Longer, but cooler, if you have the time. That area along Lake Superior is simply beautiful, if you've not seen it before. Obviously, I'm not a fan of camping in the west in the hot summer. New Mexico and July wouldn't be my choice. But, you know your tolerances.

We also use wood blocks for reducing travel on the jacks. But, just chunks of 2 x 6 or 2 x 8 cutoffs, stacked as needed. Have a little envy of those nice blocks others carry. We don't varnish, glue up or laminate. When they get old, we chuck pthem or burn them, and replace with new project cutoffs. ??

Starting with the Whaleys in 2008, others have repurposed the front dinette to a sofa. You can use a folding table or tv trays in the aisle, as a dining set, or just lounge when you want to. Theirs was an original shorty, so there's more room on the counter in the elite ii for prep . Almost none in the original, unless you cover the sink with a cutting board. Then again, most of us eat and live outside when weather accommodates. Since you are looking at fulltime, I would definitely look at making the small dinette into a sofa, and a fulltime bed in the back. Remaking dinettes to beds can become a pain, if done daily, imo. On the big propanectank for winter, you'll probably lease the tank from the company that has a contract to fill up tanks in the park. They usually help with the plumbing, as propane is their business. I like the idea of wintering over sans gas in a hanger, but could be difficult to find, and dreary without windows. No windows in any hanger our pilot friends own. I would seriously be depressed without sunlight in part of the day.

Hobo, we've been working on that behind the scenes... You'll see it soon... Sherry

"I have opted to get a Black Series so that I can confidently go off road to places like Death Valley. My favorite spot is over 50 miles in on a gravel road that is rough and sometimes washed out. Then six miles across the desert with no road. The Oliver is really good compared to many normal trailers with it’s additional ground clearance and no hanging down sewer pipes. This has allowed us to go many places we could not have gone otherwise. I love my Ollie, but don’t want to take into Death Valley and overdo it." Raspy, you'll always be part of the family..a lot of people have enjoyed and learned from your posts. Don't be a stranger when you get that Black Series. I wouldn't want to take my Ollie to your favorite spot, either. Reminds me of the TV series I watched as a kid...sponsored by 20 mule team Borax. (Now I am telling my age, huh?) Sherry

I know I have told this story before, but here goes. Years ago, we had hail the size of steely marbles at our camping property in North Carolina. We were at a friend's house having dinner, an hour away, and no hail there. The Ollie, and its solar panels, were undamaged when we returned, though the ground was still covered with hail and shredded leaves. I imagine the truck would have had some dimples if we'd been there. Sherry

Bathroom sink is several feet of pipe above the kitchen. Yes, it's possible that your grey tank is full. The guages aren't totally accurate, nor are they in any rv we've ever owned. Are you in a place where you can dump? Full hookups? Sherry

Well, congratulations to your granddaughters, and to you. I agree. Keep moving. It's not always forward, but, it's... somewhere. You never know where the next adventure is. Could be just outside the door. Great advice to the girls. Sherry

Steve, sorry to stray off topic, but, if you are going that way, theres a cute, clean town campground at Hythe. Older but clean bathrooms in a converted caboose. It's about an hour west of you. Strangely, we got some great fish from a mobile vendor in Grand Prairie four years ago... not to be expected on the Prairie.

Hi, Jam! Great to see you on the forum again! Have fun camping with the grands. :) Sherry

That's beautiful! Nice choice. Room for a barometer on the other side of the cupboard?

Fiberglass should certainly be cured by now, but fiberglass dust could be your issue. I vacuumed ours everywhere I could reach, and cleaned with a damp cloth. Ours was virtually spotless at pickup, but the cleaners forgot about area behind drawers, under the storage lids, etc. I think Oliver has stepped up the dust control and cleaning over the years. I saw what I assume was your Route 66 years ago, before it was delivered. Loved the upholstery. Sherry

I really like Randy's Novakool. More fridge space in the same size cutout. He did a beautiful install. We weren't sure about getting the Novakool through the door and space between the microwave cabinet and shower edge in the Elite I, (without disassembling a wall) so we went with the Truck fridge. The entry is larger in the Elite II. Sherry

I do really like our 12v replacement Truckfridge. So far, works great, very quiet. I have to lean right up next to it to tell if it's running. It's also made by Indel, but a lot less $$ because it's made for the truck market, not marine. Also, fewer options. Like the model a, available in any color you like, as long as it's black.:) Paul did our install. I get a little more storage in the fridge, but a smaller freezer. I like the interior led light. I also am very happy to have it just a little bit off the floor. Paul installed an IKEA drawer beneath it. Sherry

This video, Hobo. It came out last year.

Mike, wish w had an lol button. ? Sherry

Big discounts on 2019 trucks are already showing up here in Tampa Bay area. I suspect they'll get better.

And then again, five years later, another bus... http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2009/04/keith_urban_steals_tour_bus_tu.html Really, we often say a license for small boats would be a good thing in Florida. Rvs, maybe. At least, get your ducks in a row...

PS, holding out on upgrading for the rear patio/ hot tub model. Just kidding. That was a joke a decade ago here. But, a girl can dream... Sherry

Iknow! Sounds like him, for sure! A voice twin, likely. Sherry

Our original series trailers have an awning type rear window, that opens about six or 8 inches at the bottom. The current slider probably offers better airflow in the temperate months. The old style awning window is also an emergency exit window.

A window in the back is best. Most small sites are backin, and best view is usually out the rear window. Not always, but often. I'm happy with what we have. Wraparound could be an issue in many ways... sun in the morning, with ill fitting shades (or during the night in Alaska. ) More concerns about shifting/ vibration underway. Less double hull area, less insulation for offseason camping. More area for errant rocks to catch while towing on gravel... Less upper cabinet area for storage, if the window were larger. Anyway, like I said, happy with our winow in an original Legacy. Already most of the back area. I would never look at one of the trailers with rear bath. Too limiting in view, as I said, most often for us, the best view is out the back window.

You'll find a number of RVs of all sorts in Walmart shopping, and where it's allowed, some even spend the night. The superwalmarts afford one stop for groceries, deli, and supplies like blackwater treatment, a new dump hose, rv antifreeze etc. Access is usually pretty easy, as is parking along the perimeter, but some are better than others. Gas is often cheaper, too, if they have their own gas station, or a Murphy's gas station, on the property. One other reason many prefer the traditional six gallon water heater is the dual fuel.. For those who camp often in sites with power, the 6 gallon traditional heater can be run on electricity, saving propane. Depending on ambient temp, about ten minutes runtime gets water to a comfortable temperature to shower without mixing cold water. I would love to figure out a way to retrofit the Lagun table to our 2008. It's on my "someday" list. I often use the table for cooking prep. It would really be nice to be able to raise it to a more comfortable height when standing. Sherry

2005 Silverado stepside, shortbed, still our favorite memories towing our 2008 shorty. Nimble. Could u turn in a lot of spots impossible with bigger truck. Plenty of power for the lighter Elite I... just not 4 x 4. And my regular cab limited us to just me and Paul.